4.4.1.3 Cognitive Biases

• What are the key types of cognitive biases identified by Beck?

  • Selective Abstraction
  • Overgeneralization
  • Magnification/Minimization
  • Dichotomous Thinking
• Who identified several cognitive biases related to depression?

  Beck
• How do cognitive biases affect individuals who are depressed?

  They lead to negative interpretations of situations
• What is magnification/minimization in cognitive biases?

  Exaggerating negative events and minimizing positive ones
• How might a student exhibit magnification/minimization?

  Believing a B is catastrophic but an A+ is trivial
• How could dichotomous thinking impact a student's university applications?

  Thinking not getting into one choice means life is over
• What does overgeneralization involve?

  Making broad conclusions from a single event
• How does the negative thinking loop continue?

  More experiences are negatively processed
• What does dichotomous thinking entail?

  Viewing situations in extreme, black-and-white terms
• What are cognitive biases?

  Mental shortcuts leading to distorted thinking
• What might someone with cognitive biases focus on during an event?

  Only the negative aspects of the event
• What happens when a person has a bias towards overgeneralization?

  A single rejection email triggers negative thoughts
• What are the data relevant to the model according to the image?

  • Neuroimaging studies in healthy volunteers studying the effects of environmental and genetic variation
  • Neuroimaging studies in healthy volunteers at high risk for depression; pharmacological functional neuroimaging studies in depressed patients
  • Behavioural and neuroimaging studies in depressed patients
  • Clinical observation and phenomenology
• What is a key characteristic of negative thoughts?

  They have variable content
• What effect does the thought "I'll never succeed" have on a person's mood?

  It negatively affects mood and motivation
• How do the high-level "top-down" biases towards negative stimuli and away from positive stimuli arise according to the image?

  High-level "top-down" biases towards negative stimuli and away from positive stimuli, instantiated by circuits mediating affective cognitive control
• What is the role of automatic thoughts in maintaining depression?

  They reinforce negative schemata
• What is selective abstraction in cognitive biases?

  Focusing on negative aspects while ignoring positives
• What does overgeneralization in exams imply?

  Assuming failure in all tests after one failure
• How are negative thoughts defined in Beck's Cognitive Theory?

  Immediate negative interpretations of events
• What is a key characteristic of cognitive biases?

  They are inflexible patterns
• How do cognitive biases perpetuate negative thought patterns?

  • Reinforce depressive mindset
  • Lead to distorted perceptions of reality
  • Create cycles of negative thinking
• Why is overgeneralization a cognitive bias?

  It inaccurately predicts future outcomes based on one event
• What are the genetic influences on monoamine transmission according to the image?

  • Genetic influences on monoamine transmission (e.g. 5-HTTLPR)
• What are the steps in the negative thinking loop caused by cognitive biases?

  1. Biases distort perception of events
  2. Negative interpretations become automatic
  3. Automatic thoughts reinforce negative schemata
  4. Loop continues with negatively processed experiences
• How do the low-level "bottom-up" biases towards negative stimuli and away from positive stimuli arise according to the image?

  Low-level "bottom-up" biases towards negative stimuli and away from positive stimuli, instantiated by circuits mediating affective perception
• What are the key differences between cognitive biases and negative thoughts?

  • Cognitive biases are underlying patterns; negative thoughts are specific manifestations.
  • Biases are inflexible; negative thoughts vary in content.
  • Biases create a tendency to have negative thoughts.
• How could overgeneralization affect job seekers?

  Thinking one rejection means they'll never find a job
• How do cognitive biases maintain depression?

  Through a negative thinking loop
• What does dichotomous thinking entail in the context of exams?

  Believing you have failed if not achieving top grades
• How does magnification/minimization impact a student's mindset?

  It creates an unbalanced view of performance
• What is the effect of antidepressant drugs on monoamine transmission according to the image?

  Antidepressant drugs treat disrupted monoamine transmission and low-level negative affective biases
• What are cognitive biases according to Beck's Cognitive Theory?

  Mental shortcuts that lead to distorted thinking
• What is the main concept discussed in the material?

  Cognitive biases
• What are the environmental influences on monoamine transmission according to the image?

  • Environmental influences on monoamine transmission (e.g. redundancy, relationship breakdown)
• How do cognitive biases form according to Beck's Cognitive Theory?

  They develop over time from past experiences
• Why is dichotomous thinking considered a cognitive bias?

  It limits the perception of success to only top grades
• How does selective abstraction affect exam performance?

  It leads to a negative focus on mistakes
• How do cognitive biases contribute to the worsening of depression?

  By reinforcing negative beliefs consistently
• How does the compromised monoamine influence on brain circuits mediate affective processing according to the image?

  Compromised monoamine influence on brain circuits mediating affective processing (e.g. amygdala, ventral striatum, perigenual anterior cingulate cortex)